Captured Time
by Amberssister
Summary: Experimental drabble collection. Full summary inside. Contains J/I, R/G and a little T/O


**A/N: I wrote down a bunch of song lyrics, mixed them up, and picked six at random. I then wrote six drabbles of ****exactly**** 100 words (one for each character and one that's pure Janto), each inspired by the lyric. I just wanted to know if I could pull it off. PLEASE let me know if I did. Tell me if it's good, if it's bad, if it's inexplicably in Gaelic. If you think it I want to know it. Enjoy. ******

**P.S: I might turn some of these into full-length stories. Let me now those I should. Torchwood wishes and Janto dreams - Amberssister. **

_**________________________________________________________________________**_

It was a long and dark December, from the rooftops I remember

_There was snow, white snow. –_Coldplay

The sky was clear and the stars looked frozen. Their light shone off the snow, making it look like diamonds, and Jack was amazed that he'd never noticed how _striking_ a December night was. It was an astringent beauty, blank and threatening. It reminded him of space, and time and death. It was breathtaking and awesome, and it thrilled him. He stood stock-still on the edge of the roof, coat billowing out behind him, and felt nothing like a superhero. He felt small. He felt human. Jack stayed until the sun rose, and when he came down he was smiling.

My heart knows me better than I know myself

_So, I'm gonna let it do all the talking. –_KT Tunstall

Gwen watched as they bickered, standing close, touching unconsciously. Jack ran his hands thru Ianto's hair and stroked his arm. Ianto's hands brushed Jacks' chest and closed on his fingers. Their body language screamed intimacy. It screamed togetherness even as they argued. Gwen bit her lip and turned away. She had Rhys and he _loved_ her. He was devoted, and he would never hurt her. She was safe with him in ways Ianto would never be with Jack. Jack protected Ianto's body, but butchered his heart. Gwen needed more. Rhys loved her, _only_ her, and she would settle for that.

_He's burgundy for breakfast tight_. –Elvis Costello and The Attractions

Owen awoke with the kind of hangover that feels like your soul has vacated your body out of disgust. He felt hollow and achy. His hand flailed out for aspirin and hit wine instead. He drank it like he had a grudge against it and felt better within minutes. He was lucky he had the day off. When his phone rang, he tried to sound nothing more than tired and told Ianto he had the flu. After a knowing pause Ianto told him it was alright, they could handle it without him. Tactfully, he told Jack that Owen was ill.

And nobody nowhere understands anything

_About me and all my dreams, lost at sea –_The Smashing Pumpkins

Tosh could've written volumes about her teammates. She watched and listened. She saw the little things nobody else cared to notice, heard the implications. When you're quiet and you care, you learn lots of things. She knew how lonely Jack got, and how much Ianto loved him; she knew that Gwen was constantly torn, and she knew how sweet Owen could be. She noticed these things that would be obvious to _anyone_, if they'd only pay attention. Tosh saw because she cared. She only wished someone would notice _her_. She wished _he_ would notice. It hurt that he never did.

_We talk just like lions _

_But sacrifice like lambs_- Counting Crows

It's okay to die young, as long as you die a hero. He never buys food to last longer than a few days. He makes no plans past tomorrow. He doesn't expect to live until thirty. He doesn't expect to live until Tuesday. His affairs are all in order. He's ready. It's alright. It's for the greater good. He's says it doesn't bother him. He takes the little green pills that Owen gives him for his nerves, and, when he runs out, he takes whisky straight. He is calm and prepared and when it's time he will go out fighting.

Don't give up on the dream; don't give up on the wanting

_And everything that's true_

Don't give up on the dream; don't give up on the wanting

_Because I want you too_. –Placebo

"I thought if I tried hard enough, if I loved you enough, we could be happy. I'm_ grateful_ for what we have, for… you. But, I love you. I'm sorry; I never meant to complicate things. It hurts Jack, but I wouldn't trade it for gold. It hurts so much, though, and I just can't…" Jack held him as he wept. "It's okay," he said "we're okay. I love _you_ Ianto, more than I wanted to. _Are _we okay? Tell me where you are." Ianto sighed. " I'm with you," he said "always, through hell and back again, with you."

________________________________________________________________________

**A/N (pt. 2): I own nothing. Not torchwood, not the characters, not the lyrics. The rights **_**do **_**belong to the BBC, RTD, The Counting Crows, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, The Smashing Pumpkins, KT Tunstall and Placebo respectively. I love and respect all of them. If I didn't I wouldn't play with their toys.**


End file.
